We could be Heroes
by a happy bibliophile
Summary: Nathan knows Peter's up to something but what? In the meantime, Peter's dragging him around playing hero. On Hold


Disclaimer: Heroes and Heroes characters are property of NBC and creator Tim Kring. I do not own anything that belongs to them.

A/N: This is an un-betaed AU fic set after the season 1 finale, but everything is still more or less the same as it was.

Enjoy.

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It was well after sunset and not a little cold, making Nathan miss the warm food and shelter of his home. He tugged his coat tighter around himself, wishing he could've ignored his brother and stayed there, but as of late, his brother was … well, up to something and curiosity (as well as brotherly protectiveness) overcame him.

Nathan spotted Peter in the shadow of a tall building and walked towards his brother. "Alright, Peter," Nathan sighed. "I'm here. What's so urg -"

Peter took Nathan by the shoulders and guided him towards a wall, deep in the shadows and then said in a low voice, "I saw it happening - it's going to happen. Right here - in a few minutes."

"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked him, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"I've got Isaac's ability remember? I can see the future. I can change it," Peter grinned. "We can stop them. They're gonna murder some girl under witness protection."

"Shouldn't you bring this up with the police?"

Peter shook his head, "No time, Nathan. Besides, they're not likely to believe me. Worse off - they might prosecute me for her murder after it happens. You're the only one who could help me. You're the only one I trust."

But Nathan was already shaking his head. "No, Peter. I can't. _We_ can't. This is insane. How the hell can I even help you? I can't fight!"

"Shh!" Peter warned his brother. "Too late now. They're already here." Peter grabbed both of Nathan's shoulders and then …they were indistinguishable from the shadows.

A few seconds later, a big black Cadillac rolled into the alleyway, several feet away from the two brothers. A tall, burly man stepped out of the car, yanking a teenager roughly out of the car.

"Oh, God," Nathan breathed. "She's just a kid!" Peter only nodded.

"Please!" the girl sobbed. "I don't want to die…"

"You won't if you tell us what we want to hear," a second man said, stepping out of the car. Three others got out, but the second man was obviously in charge. "Just tell us where they're keeping the evidence." The girl, in her fear, had been reduced to a quivering pile. She wasn't coherent enough to understand or answer the question. A foot sent the air rushing out of her lungs. "Don't make me ask again."

Peter swallowed. It was bad the first time around, seeing it from a sort of distance. It was so much worse to be there. He found Nathan's eyes and said, "You can stay here if you want out, but I'm going in."

Nathan stood frozen, watching his brother slink along the walls in the shadow. Peter wasn't invisible. He was just - in the shadows, and he could see his silhouette against the light from the street. Peter raised a hand as if helping him to focus his attention. The first thug - the one who'd given the kid the boot, swung his foot back to kick her again - except this time he missed her and the momentum of his foot caused him to lose his balance and fall flat on his back. The three thugs chuckled and the Boss managed an small snicker of amusement.

"Damn kid moved!" the thug spat, clambering to his feet not so gracefully. Somehow, his shoelaces had knotted themselves together and he fell back down. "What the he-" The thug was cut off as the air in his lungs were expelled by an unseen force.

By now, Nathan couldn't see Peter anywhere.

The Boss guy stopped snickering and a look of wonder and suspicion entered his face. He watched as another punch downed the thug. Then, for all his bluster, the thug began swinging out in every direction in a blind panic, getting carefully back up to his feet. One of those blows landed somewhere shoulder level with a satisfying crack.

Nathan heard Peter cry out in pain. _Wait, didn't Peter have Claire's regeneration?_ He watched in horror as his brother materialized in front of the thug, his jaw hanging loosely, broken. Nathan wondered vaguely if it hurt as he watched Peter, in glassy-eyed surprise, fall to the ground. It was almost inaudible, but Nathan could swear he could hear the bones crunch together - the telltale sound of healing begun. Still, the other three thugs began to advance on him and the girl. _Uh-oh…Not good_.

Nathan's jaw flapped open and shut uselessly. _What to do?_ His brother would be out for a few more moments. He saw the gleam of a gun that was stuffed into Peter's mouth. "Just say the word, Boss," the thug with the gun said, eager for a kill. Nathan's thoughts raced - _but, I can't_ - trying to grasp for some immediate control, and then, _but it's __**Peter**_.

Nathan found himself, fist cocked, flying - well, more like hurtling - towards the thug with the gun in his brother's mouth. His fist connected with the thug's temple before the thug realized there was a second man there, the added speed of his brief flight sending the man into the other two gaping thugs, and still the momentum carried them a few feet down the middle of the street.

Nathan tried to suppress yelp of pain. His fist pounded and he half expected to see his hand angry red, swollen, and throbbing noticeably, but it didn't. _Gotta get out of here… Peter what did you get me into?!_

Click!

Nathan didn't have to turn around to know that the Boss had a gun trained on him.

Several plans formulated in Nathan's mind and then they died a few seconds later. They were all pretty much gonna get him killed anyway. At the very least, the other three thugs were out cold and he bought Peter some time.

"Turn around, slowly," the Boss rumbled.

Nathan did as he was told - even raising his hands up in the air for good measure. No one likes getting shot, after all. Still, Nathan turned …very, very slowly. He didn't need them to see his face either.

"Faster than that, you idiot," the Boss barked.

Nathan nearly jumped, but he turned around a bit faster and hung his head low. He watched the Boss's boots step into view.

"Who are you?" the Boss demanded. He reached out a hand to lift Nathan's face to the streetlight. The hand never made it.

It flopped uselessly on the ground, oozing blood. The cut was so quick and clean that the blood didn't flow from the stump right away. The Boss, Nathan, the remaining thug, and Peter stared in horror as the stump spurted blood with every heartbeat. It was an interesting sight to see, gross as it was.

The Boss recovered first. "My hand!" He yelled at an impossibly high pitch for a man of his size. He rounded on Nathan and Peter and tried to shoot them both with his remaining hand, but his hand was too shaky that he missed. The bullet ricocheted and hit the girl in the leg. She screamed in pain.

"Ahh!!! I'm dying," she began sobbing anew.

Nathan used the distraction to push the Boss over, sending the gun skidding down the alley. The first thug was running at them, shoes off, but he stumbled and fell anyway. Peter put his hand down. "Let's go. She needs help."

"Do you think they know who we are?" Nathan asked.

"I don't think so…and hopefully we never see them again," Peter said. He bent down to pick the girl up, but she shied away from him. "Hey, it's okay." Peter reached for him again, but she cried out.

Nathan stared at Peter. "The thing with the hand," Nathan pointed at the severed hand, "it was you wasn't it?"

Peter couldn't bring himself to look at Nathan.

A shuffling sound brought their attention to the first thug again. There was a glint of metal and a bang and another and another. The first one sailed clean through Peter, caught by surprise. The second shattered the cell phone in Nathan's coat - Nathan having turned from his previous standing position a split second before, his coat billowing behind him. The third one was a wild shot and hit a passing police car's trunk. The cruiser squealed to a stop.

_Good or bad?_ Nathan thought. _Maybe it'd be better if we weren't here at all. But what about the girl…she knows our faces, but she's also hurt_. Nathan sighed. _I could drop her off at the hospital or maybe _- Nathan found himself wishing Peter had met Linderman.

"Peter! Get up! The cops are here!" Nathan hissed, lifting the girl up. Peter was slowly getting up, the wound still healing. "C'mon!" He urged his brother on as the cruiser door slammed shut. The policemen eyed the pile of thugs warily and moved closer. Nathan could hear the sound of flashlights clicking on.

Peter nodded. "I'm coming. Just need a little more time..." The wound finally finished healing. Nathan didn't wait for Peter to give the signal. They both flew into the night sky, but not before someone else saw them.

From an abandoned building across the street, Angela Petrelli said, "Make sure no one down there remembers them."

The Haitian nodded and walked away.

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A/N 2: Eh-heh, yeah I can't write the girl's part very well, but it was a one time thing. Hopefully, I'll get through to the end on this one.


End file.
